WASUA
22/7 Aberdeen Street (near McIver Train Station)
WASUA will again be holding the youth testing event teSTIng, teSTIng, ABC during youth week. The event runs onThursday 6th and Friday 7th of April between 10 am and 3 pm at WASUA Perth – 22/7 Aberdeen Street (near McIver Train Station).
During this time a free healthy lunch and snacks are provided which includes roasts, salads and fruit. Hepatitis WA come down with their temporary tattoo machine and provide young people with temporary tattoos and information about safer body art. The Western Australian Aids Council also attends with games and can talk to young people about STI transmission. SHQ brings fun and games and can talk to young people about the different contraception’s while Red Cross Save a Mate and WASUA provide information about substances, harm reduction and looking after your mates. All activities are undertaken in a friendly and non-threatening manner and all young people who attend leave with a show bag full of relevant resources.
Throughout the days the WASUA nurse provides free and confidential STI/BBV testing in the health clinic. Leanne is a very experienced nurse practitioner and provides a youth friendly service. Chlamydia is the most common STI infection in young people and Western Australia has seen a spike in gonorrhoea infections in the past 12 months. It is recommended young people are tested at least every 12 months for STI’s/BBV’s as many people don’t experience symptoms however are still capable of transmitting the infection. The other games, food and fun help reduce the young people’s barriers to undertaking testing and makes the experience much less confronting then going to a doctors.
In the past the clinic has been quite busy so if you have young people you would like to bring to access testing please let me know and we will try to establish times to assist with reducing waiting times for the nurse. I understand this may not always be possible and that is fine, there will be no problems accessing testing if you don’t let me know you are coming it is purely to try to reduce wait times.